Top Heritage Advisors and Consultants in the West Midlands and Staffordshire: The Expert Witnesses of Heritage Planning

In listed building planning, the architectural drawing is only part of the picture. A successful application also needs to show that the building has been properly understood before decisions are made about changing it.

The current National Planning Policy Framework requires applicants to describe the significance of heritage assets affected by a proposal, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of information should be proportionate to the importance of the asset and the likely effect of the works.

This is where a heritage consultant can be invaluable. They research the history of a site, assess surviving fabric, explain its significance and identify the likely effects of the proposal. They may also help the wider project team respond to conservation officer comments and ensure that planning, design and heritage documents tell a consistent story.

The following practices are active in, or have prepared work relating to, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. This is not a league table. The right consultant will depend on the building, the scale of the proposal and whether the main issue is fabric, archaeology, setting, planning strategy or a combination of these.

The Leading Heritage Consultancies

1. Marrons, Part of Shakespeare Martineau

Lead consultant: Hannah Hamilton Rutter

Casework profile: Pearce Hay Farm, Bishops Wood, South Staffordshire

Technical speciality: Heritage impact assessments, rural estates, agricultural buildings, masterplanning and planning strategy

Marrons is a multidisciplinary planning, design and development consultancy within the Shakespeare Martineau group. Its heritage work is particularly relevant where a historic building forms part of a larger development or estate strategy.

Pearce Hay Farmhouse at Bishops Wood is a Grade II listed building. Schemes involving historic farmsteads can be especially challenging because the significance of the listed house may be affected by the relationship with its former agricultural buildings, landscape setting and evidence of historic use.

For owners of rural estates, a consultant with experience of heritage impact assessment and wider planning strategy can help ensure that proposals for conversion, repair, access, services or new uses are considered together rather than in isolation.

2. Rob Duncan Planning Consultancy Ltd

Lead consultant: Rob Duncan, BSc, MA, MRTPI

Location: St Mary’s Old School, Minster Pool Walk, Lichfield, WS13 6QT

Technical speciality: Planning applications, appeals, enforcement matters, design and access statements, and development advice

Rob Duncan Planning Consultancy is a Lichfield based planning practice serving Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands. The practice advises private and public sector clients on planning applications, appeals, enforcement matters and development potential.

The practice’s local knowledge is particularly useful where proposals affect conservation areas, listed buildings or sensitive historic town centres. In these cases, the planning argument, design approach and heritage assessment need to support one another.

It is worth noting that a chartered town planner and a heritage consultant do not always perform the same role. On more complex listed building schemes, an experienced planning consultant may work alongside a specialist heritage adviser, architect, archaeologist or building surveyor.

3. SLR Consulting, Following the Acquisition of Wardell Armstrong

Technical speciality: Historic environment assessment, industrial heritage, brownfield regeneration, infrastructure and environmental assessment

SLR Consulting is a large environmental and engineering consultancy with historic environment expertise. Its scale makes it relevant to major regeneration, infrastructure and brownfield schemes where heritage issues sit alongside transport, contamination, ecology, engineering and environmental assessment.

Planning records for the former Caparo Works in Walsall identify heritage statements prepared by Wardell Armstrong. The site lies close to historic canal infrastructure and heritage assets including the Old Birchills Toll House and the Boatman’s Rest.

The planning history demonstrates the importance of careful heritage assessment on former industrial land. It is not simply a question of whether an old structure remains. The effect on historic setting, boundary walls, canal infrastructure, archaeological interest and the character of the conservation area may all need to be considered.

For larger or technically complicated schemes, a consultancy with in house environmental and heritage capability can help co ordinate the many different assessments needed to support an application.

4. Cotswold Archaeology

Technical speciality: Archaeology, historic building assessment, heritage statements, significance assessment and mitigation

Cotswold Archaeology is a national archaeological and heritage practice with a historic buildings team. It prepares archaeological and built heritage assessments for projects ranging from domestic alterations to large commercial and public schemes.

Its work has been associated with St Matthew’s Hall in Walsall, a Grade II listed former court house now occupied by JD Wetherspoon. Heritage assessment was prepared to support proposals for refurbishment and internal alterations.

This is a useful example of why the detail of historic fabric matters. A listed building may contain original structure, later alterations and modern interventions. A sound heritage assessment distinguishes between them, allowing necessary changes to be designed around the fabric that contributes most to significance.

Cotswold Archaeology is likely to be a strong choice where a project requires archaeological expertise as well as an assessment of a standing historic building.

5. LWBailey Heritage Management

Lead consultant: Laura Wigg Bailey

Technical speciality: Traditional buildings, domestic listed buildings, building conservation and repair advice

LWBailey Heritage Management is a specialist heritage practice working with historic buildings and regeneration projects. A smaller specialist consultancy can be particularly useful for owners of listed houses who need focused advice before embarking on repairs, alterations or energy efficiency work.

Domestic heritage projects often turn on apparently small details. These may include the repair of timber frames, the treatment of historic brickwork, the specification of lime mortar or plaster, the location of insulation and the management of moisture within old walls.

The best advice for a traditional building begins with a proper understanding of its construction and condition. Historic walls do not behave like modern cavity walls, and unsuitable cement based or impermeable materials can create avoidable problems.

Other Specialist Consultants Active in the Region

AB Heritage Limited

AB Heritage is a national heritage consultancy that prepares archaeological desk based assessments and heritage statements. It has been associated with work at Dunsley Hall in Kinver, South Staffordshire, where the setting and significance of a Grade II listed building required consideration.

Winterburn Heritage and Planning

Winterburn Heritage and Planning has prepared heritage statements for schemes in the West Midlands and surrounding counties. Its work is relevant to residential development, conservation areas and proposals affecting the setting of heritage assets.

Parker Heritage

Parker Heritage is a heritage consultancy working on commercial and residential heritage matters. Before appointing any adviser, it is sensible to check that their recent experience matches the type of building and consent you require.